Nissan has announced plans to release a new electric compact van called the the e-NV200, which will be produced in Barcelona starting in 2013. The new electric van will be Nissan’s second all-electric vehicle following the Nissan Leaf. The e-NV200 will be based on the current NV200 van and it stands to be an important and innovative addition to Nissan’s global range of light commercial vehicles (LCV’s).

The e-NV200 electric van will borrow its electric powertrain from the Nissan Leaf. Nissan states that the e-NV200 will also deliver the same performance and driving range as the Leaf. Andy Palmer, Nissan Executive Vice President, said: “e-NV200 represents a genuine breakthrough in commercial vehicles and further underlines Nissan’s leadership within the electric vehicle segment. The new model will offer all the spaciousness, versatility and practicality of a traditionally powered compact van, but with zero CO2 emission at the point of use and provides outstanding driving experience that is unique to EV’s.”

“Crucially, it will also offer class-leading running and maintenance costs which makes it an exceptionally attractive proposition to both businesses and families.”

Currently NV200-based electric vehicle prototypes are being tested in Europe. Trials will continue in coming months in order to provide real-world feedback from the most demanding usage. Production of the e-NV200 is set to kick off sometime in 2013.